Couture newcomer Miss Sohee is one to watch

Christian Dior, Schiaparelli, Chanel . . . so reads the list of storied houses that make up Paris’ exclusive Haute Couture Week. Yet, as part of the spring/summer 2025 season there is one unexpected name. Showing on the final day (Jan 30) is Miss Sohee, the independent couture label founded by Sohee Park.

It’s not Park’s first fashion show. The couturier, who was born and raised in Seoul, staged her first in Milan in 2022, after receiving sponsorship from Dolce & Gabbana. She has since held a runway show once a year in Paris. Last month, however, marks her first on the official couture calendar, as a guest member (a small number of guest designers are approved by organising body Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode each season).

Taking place at 51 Rue de l’Universite, the couture show features Miss Sohee’s signature embroideries and silhouettes (one can imagine wearing one of her delicate, long-trail gowns and feeling like a precious walking ornament). But, this time, the designs will also be “edgy and sexier”, with a more “rebellious” attitude, teases Park when she talks to me from her west London studio. “I usually work with very soft fabrics, like silks, but this time we have lots of leather and other materials.”

She also showed bags. Created in partnership with craftspeople across Korea, using mother-of-pearl, lacquer and embroidery, they will be available to purchase directly from the brand’s website from February. Early customer responses have been encouraging, according to Park. “I’ve shown some styles to private clients and already have a hefty list of pre-orders.”

Born to an academic father and a mother who illustrated children’s books, Park developed an interest in drawing and painting from a young age. “I was that kid in Korea [taking part in] every art competition,” she recalls, “so I’ve always known I was creative.” But it was Karl Lagerfeld’s spring/summer 2012 collection for Chanel that ignited her interest in fashion. “I was in high school when I saw the show on TV. Karl’s designs, models, set, music and everything felt completely new. I went on YouTube and started watching all the documentaries of Karl as well as Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and John Galliano.”

In 2015, Park moved to London to study a bachelors degree in fashion at Central Saint Martins. On graduating in 2020, she received her first order from royals in Abu Dhabi. Today, her customers are largely from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, and increasingly the US and Asia. She also has a growing fan base of celebrities, such as Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Anya Taylor-Joy and Priyanka Chopra. In 2022, a look from her graduate collection was exhibited as part of the “Hallyu! The Korean Wave exhibition” at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. And in 2023, Miss Sohee was the third recipient of the annual Goodwood “Talent in Fashion” Award.

Caroline Rush attended the Fashion Awards in December 2024 wearing an elegant black dress and a satin blue shawl with floral embroideries by Miss Sohee, as she closed her final year as CEO of the British Fashion Council. “We have worked with her a number of times over the last few years,” says Rush, complementing Park’s blend of practicality with innovation and elegance. It was her first time wearing the label. What stood out to her was the fitting process, which she described as “a joy . . . I felt totally ready to take on the night as soon as I put [the design] on.”

Also among Miss Sohee’s supporters is Séverine Merle, the influential but discreet chief executive of Celine, who became the third female CEO of an LVMH brand and oversaw the 2018 hiring of Hedi Slimane as the house’s creative, artistic and image director. Paris’s couture committee accepted Miss Sohee’s application, in part, because of Merle’s endorsement, Park says. The two first met last year. “I showed Merle my portfolio and talked about the things I’m passionate about, like craft and artistry, and she loved my work.”

Clients generally appreciate the bespoke process required to create her fantastical and delicate designs, which start at €70,000 (US$72,047; S$98,107), Park says. It begins with a consultation during which Park sketches on the spot. The privately owned label has been profitable since day one, according to Park, who currently employs a team of 37. The brand brought €3 million in revenue in 2024. Park’s aim is to double that figure by the end of this year.

So far, so good, I observe: does she really need approval from luxury’s traditional gatekeepers? “To show on the official calendar is validation of the brand and its potential to contribute meaningfully to the Haute Couture space,” says Park. She adds that it’s “an opportunity for us to connect with a wider audience. We’re still quite young as a brand — we’re only four years old — so this is a big stepping stone for us.”

Ready-to-wear, which launched and was sold exclusively at Net-a-Porter in late 2022, and picked up by Mytheresa and Moda Operandi in 2023, is a tiny part of Miss Sohee’s business. Park cites broader economic challenges and a tough environment for independent designers as among the barriers. Her couture customers are a priority because “if we make one client happy and she trusts us, she will return but also introduce us to her relatives and friends.”

Bridalwear (designs often exceed €100,000) is another opportunity for future growth. “In some cultures, weddings have become like a fashion show, with thousands of people watching those coming down the aisle,” says Park, noting that she has recently designed for several weddings in the Middle East. “We’re not only dressing the bride for their ceremony, but also their families.”

The long-term goal is for Miss Sohee to be “the biggest couture maison in the UK,” she says. “What’s really special is that clients and celebrities come to us organically; I don’t think a lot of people understand that we’ve never reached out to them or had any big investments. They simply appreciated my work and that has allowed the business to grow.”

Kati Chitrakorn © 2025 The Financial Times.